The present invention relates to a method of theft protection for computers and/or computer related hardware.
Background: High-Tech Equipment Theft
Physical computer equipment, and intellectual property stored on hard drives in computer systems, can be worth millions of dollars to the owner companies. Particularly where small, expensive, and portable computers are involved, asset management is becoming very difficult.
As computers have become more common, theft of the computers, of their components, and of information stored on them has become more prevalent. Employees continue to be the primary source for losses due to theft. For example, employees who have compatible systems at home may be tempted to swap boards and input devices at work to repair their systems at home. Employees are not the only threat. Repairmen, janitors, delivery-persons, other contractors, customers, invited guests, and even security people themselves have an opportunity to take computer property.
Size and portability are also factors. As integrated circuit manufacturers reduce the size of chips with a complementary boost in performance and power, the boxes into which the chips are placed become smaller. Grab-and-run thefts are likely to focus on the smallest equipment. As computer equipment continues to decrease in size (e.g. to sub-notebook and smaller computers), the vulnerability to theft increases. The reduction in size certainly seems to be the way of the future.
The increasing use of plug-and-play and hot-swappable units has been helpful for thieves, since these architectures have accelerated moves toward modular components which can be quickly attached or removed from a system.
Computers and related peripherals, and intellectual property are not the only target of high-tech theft. State-of-the-art instrumentation and test equipment are also prime candidates and are usually more expensive per unit volume than a typical home computer. Although less marketable than computer equipment, they can represent a sizeable loss to companies using such equipment.
Conventional Chassis Locks
Conventional desktop units currently include a mechanical lock of some sort, so that the chassis can be opened with a key or a special tool. This presents a dilemma: if the special tool is exotic, it adds to the cost of a technician's toolbox and increases the likelihood that a technician may not have the proper tool when he needs it; if the special tool is too common, the risk is that thieves will have it too. In many current systems, the special tool is simply a number 8 Torx.TM. driver, which is very widely available.
Further, for systems which key lock, key management is a significant issue. In today's world of large corporate networks, such a setup would be extremely cumbersome for information. Management departments managing thousands of machines. Whenever service was required, the correct key would have to be identified, or the systems would have to be left unlocked.
Smart Locks Lock-Protected System for Case Security
This application discloses a new way to prevent the opening of computers except by authorized personnel. This is accomplished by an electromagnetic "hoodlock," which prevents the computer's chassis from being opened unless the computer opens the hoodlock. The computer requires an administrator's password (which is not known to ordinary users) before it will allow the hoodlock to open. (Of course a chassis can always be opened by using destructive techniques, e.g. by drilling out screws, but the question is whether it can be opened by nondestructive techniques.)
This is an example of a smart lock. By allowing the computer to protect its own physical access, great flexibility in optimizing access security is obtained. According to the preferred embodiment, the system is equipped with an electronic hood lock used to prevent removal of the computer's cover. The lock is controlled electronically. An ASIC provides signals to both lock and unlock the hood lock solenoid. These signals are controllable by software through the Hood Lock Control register in the Client Management register set. Access to this register is protected.
An advantage of this is that it not only protects against thieves, it protects against uncontrolled hardware configuration changes (such as users moving boards or drives from one machine to another).